Animal advocates are celebrating after parts of a controversial Ontario agriculture law that made it illegal to get a job on a farm under false pretences to expose conditions inside were deemed unconstitutional.
Justice Markus Koehnen struck down parts of Bill 156, the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, earlier this month after advocacy group Animal Justice, along with an activist and a journalist, launched a Charter challenge in 2021.
They argued the new law infringed on their freedom of expression because they could not tell the outside world what was happening inside a farm if they gained access to the property through a false pretence.
From day 1 it was a terrible law reported on as the “ag-gag” law. Glad that part is overturned.
The part that was upheld where you can’t forcibly interfere with trucks to feed the livestock is unfortunate but still reasonable, for the safety of protestors themselves around big rigs.